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As the official newsletter of the Mid-South Chapter, The Mid-South Flyer was first published in March, 2009 as the Mid-South News Bulletin as a bi-monthly publication. The newsletter reports current chapter activities and features regular columns and articles on a variety of historical and contemporary railroad subjects pertaining to the Mid-South region of Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, west Georgia and northwest Florida. The newsletter's long-time editor through 2018 was Mid-South Chapter founder Marvin Clemons; from 2019 through 2022 the Flyer was edited by Ken Boyd.
As of January 2023, the 2022 November-December issue was the last one issued. Future plans for the Flyer are undetermined.
Issues will be made available here one year after publication.
Available Issues
| 2022 | January - February
2021 National Annual Meeting Report / Richard Morris ·
Member Moment: Hoosier in Manhatten / Scott Evenbeck ·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · Aldridge Gardens:
A Regional Day Trip on Your Own / Ken Boyd ·
Timothy Hackworth, Historic English Locomotive Engineer and Designer / Ken Boyd · The Leeds Depot on a Lonely
Winter Afternoon |
March - April
Chapter News/Update / James Lowery · Member Moment: A Late Arriver to Railroading
and Railroad History / James Lowery ·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · A Regional Day Trip on Your Own: Metal Art Image of Birmingham Terminal Station Near the New Amtrak Station
· Memories of Woodlawn Junction / text and photos by Marvin Clemons |
May-June
Chapter News · Chapter Annual Report 2021-2022 / James Lowery, President · Member Moment: Why Trains? / Tim Smith ·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · Alabama Railroad History / Andrew "Andy" Jackson Beard (reprint)
· A Regional Day Trip on Your Own: The Fairfax Depot - Valley, Alabama [from the Encyclopedia of Alabama]
· Those Incredible Snow Plows! / text and photos by Ken Boyd |
July-August
Chapter News · R&LHS 2022 Convention - Rochester Rails / Richard Morris
· Member Moment: Growing Up Between the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Railroad / Ken Mosby
· MSC Meeting: Southern Vintage Fire Apparatus Association, June 18, 2022 · Heart of
Dixie Railroad Museum
· A Regional Day Trip on Your Own: The JSTOR Online Database and the R&LHS / Ken Boyd
· Some of Birmingham's Railroad History in America's Rainbow Viaduct Surround / John Troulias |
September-October
Chapter News · Member Moment: Mid-South Welcomes DiDomizio as a New
Member / John DiDomizio · A "Rails" Discovery in Birmingham / James and Peggy Lowery
· Heart of
Dixie Railroad Museum · A Regional Day Trip on Your Own: Tons of Trains for All Ages! : Places to
go in Alabama if You Love Trains · The Flight of the Redbirds / Marvin Clemons |
November-December
Chapter News · The Mid-South Flyer / Ken Boyd · Member Moment:
A Lifetime of Railroading / Alan Maples · Heart of
Dixie Railroad Museum · A Regional Day Trip on Your Own: Stevenson Depot and Hotel Museum ·
The Local Workhorses of the National Railroad Network / Warren T. Jones, Sr. |
| 2021 | January
A New Colorful Look at Old Railroad Photos / Tom Alderman ·
Chapter News/Update · Remembrance Honoring Ralph Honeycutt / Contributed by Marvin Clemons ·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · Lynnville Railroad Museum:
A Regional Day Trip on Your Own / Ken Boyd ·
Member Moment: It Started with the Sunset Limited / Bob Greene · The Marco Polo and
Other Historic Private Railcars / Warren Jones |
March
Historic Watermills of North America / presented by Ken Boyd ·
Chapter News/Update · Member Moment: Still Adding to Fond Memories / George and Jeannie
Wearn ·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · Operations and Practices of Trains and Railroads:
The Roman Empire, Gauge Wars and Modern Rail Spacing! / Ken Boyd ·
A Regional Day Trip on Your Own: Train Watching from the Historic Downtown Birmingham Viaduct / Ken
Boyd |
May
Picnic at Kymulga Grist Mill ·
Chapter News/Update · Member Moment: One never knows where a walk will lead / Gregg Danielson
·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · The Old Depot at Selma, Alabama, A Regional Day Trip on Your
Own / Ken Boyd ·
Train Travel, Trial, then Triumph : Did This 19th Century Train Trip Become the Catalyst
for the Building of a Football Powerhouse? / John Troulias |
July
Mid-South Chapter Annual Report ·
Member Moment: Karen R. Utz, Director, Sloss Furnaces Historic Landmark
·
Brief History of the Mid-South Chapter, R&LHS / Marvin Clemons · Report of Mid-South
Chapter Picnic and Grist Mill Tour / James Lowery ; photographs by Ken Boyd ·
Heart of Dixie Museum Report · Old Town Helena, Alabama /James Lowery ·
Light Painting Photography for Locomotives / Ken Boyd |
September
Terminal Station Exhibit Expands ·
Member Moment: Confessions of a Railfan Heretic / Lamont Downs
·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · A Regional Day Trip on Your Own: Historic Park
at Ross Bridge / Ken Boyd ·
The "Man o' War" Makes a Comeback / Marvin Clemons |
November
Chapter Update · Member Moment: From Big Trains to Little Trains and
Everything in Between / Carey Ketchum ·
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum · Shoals Model Railroaders : a Regional Day Trip on
Your Own ·
Model Railroading and Railroad History / John Stewart |
| 2020 | January
Heart of Dixie Museum Report · Mid-South Chapter Annual Report ·
Member Moment: John Troulias · Docena Mining Camp--A Century Ahead of Time, Yet Too Late by John Troulias
· A Short Introduction to Advanced Train Control Systems (ATCS) |
March
Rail Pessenger Service in the U.S. by Robert Stewart · Return from Antartica ·
Heart of Dixie Museum Report · Member Moment: John Browning
· Alabama Rail Archives by David Coombs · Art of the Locomotive: The Crampton-Type
Locomotive by Ken Boyd · Common American Steam
Locomotive Wheel Arrangements |
May
Trains and the Covid-19 pandemic by Warren Jones · A Killer
in Grand Central Terminal · Chapter Update ·
Heart of Dixie Museum Report · Cowan Railroad Museum by Ken Boyd
· Member Moment: The End of Caboose no. 1 by Pittman Owen · Art of the Locomotive:
The Royal Hudson and Southern Railway no. 2839 by Ken Boyd |
July
Chapter Update · Heart of Dixie Museum Report · Train Watching in Greene
County by Ken Boyd · Member Moment: Nicholas Costa ·
Without the Railroads None of This Would Have Been Possible by James Lowery |
September
Heart of Dixie Museum Report · Trainspotting and Watching in Northwestern
Alabama and Northeastern Mississippi by David Hurt ·
Member Moment: Dori Boyd and the Napa Valley Wine Train · A Story About a King Cotton Trip by David
Hurt · The Luraville Locomotive--the "Suwannee River Locomotive" by Ken Boyd |
November
Heart of Dixie Museum Report · Historic Railroad Operating Practices and
Equipment: Train Order Offices by Marvin Clemons
· Montgomery Union Station and RiverFront: A regional Day Trip on Your Own by Ken Boyd ·
Member Moment: TRAINS, TRAINS, TRAINS! by Stan Sims · Historic Thomas Furnaces: Preserved Republic Steel Locomotives
by Ken Boyd · The Frisco 4018 Move: The Rest of the Story by E.W. Stevenson with Terry Oden |
| 2019 | January
Donnie Strickland Remembrance · Vulcan Park Terminal Station Exhibit · Sumter and Choctaw Railway No. 102 by Ken Boyd · One Day at Birmingham, Ala. by J. David Ingles (reprinted from Classic Trains) |
March
Buster Keaton's The General · Special Recognition for Marvin Clemons; Tribute to Lamont Downs & Pat Honsa · Alabama Fuel and Iron Company, Part II--Acton Mines by John Stewart · Dramatic Birmingham Train Robbery (reprinted from Alabama Pioneers) |
May
The Transcontinental Railroad · Construction of the New [Model] Birmingham Terminal Station ·
Norfolk & Western No. 1218 at the Spectacular Leeds Trestle by Ken Boyd · Alabama Fuel and Iron Company, Part III--Overton Mines by John Stewart |
July
Underground Birmingham · New Birmingham Terminal Station Exhibit at Vulcan Park & Museum ·
Transcontinental Railroad Postage Stamps for Collectors · Why the Big Boy 4014 is Such a Bad Train |
September
John Henry Celebration & Leeds Fall Festival · Program: Seaboard Air Line Passenger Service with Larry
Goolsby · Member Moment: Eddie Cook · Alabama Fuel and Iron Company, Part IV--Margaret, Acmar and Colgate Mines by John Stewart |
November
Member Moment: Harold (Glen) and Sherry Kitts · Frisco 4018 Locomotive / Richard Neely, Ph.D. · Alabama Fuel and Iron Company, Part V--Margaret, Acmar and Colgate Mines by John Stewart |
| 2018 | January
Presentation: Larry Goolsby on the AB&C · Long Day on a Local · How to Use ... and Abuse ... an Alco S-2 · Bessemer's Railroads |
March
Presentation: Tom Lawson on "My Life with Locomotives" · Gavin Turner, Railroad
Photographer · Carl Ardrey on "Flaggin' on no. 1" · "Catfish," The Only Ingalls Locomotive |
Summer
Presentation: Music of Sloss Furnaces · Lyle Key on "Watching trains and
streetcars from Granny's front porch" · R&LHS National Convention Report · "The Last Circle
Trip" by Marvin Clemons · 1960s Birmingham in Black & White: photo album by Bill McCoy |
September
Presentation: Mississippi Rails archivist David Price · New Depot Deck ·
A glass of lemonade with Mr. Dillard
by Marvin Clemons · Last Steam on the Alabama Central by Tom Lawson · 1950s Birmingham in Black & White: photo album by Matt Lawson |
November
Presentation: Ken Boyd's Locomotive Photography · North Alabama Train Depot Trail
· Alabama Fuel and Iron Company by John Stewart · Pullman Company in Birmingham · Frisco
Memories at Memphis by Phil Gosney |
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| 2017 | Winter
Presentation: Santa Fe through Arizona · Honoring Larry Kelpke · Stevenson Depot · Birmingham Belt, Part 3 · Victorian Internet · Railroad Rule Books |
Spring
Presentation: Warren Jones on Gainesville Midland #301 · In Memoriam Robert "Bob" Smith · Bygone Days on Bessemer's Railroads · Last decade of Passenger Rail Service before Amtrak · Quick Reference Alabama
Rail Map |
Summer
Presentation: Glenn Wills on "Forgotten Alabama" · Southern Railway Finley Roundhouse
· Lyle Key on Railway express · Seaboard's Birmingham Subdivision · Stan Burnett on a 1965 Weekend
Round Trip by Rail |
Fall
Presentation: Knox Kershaw · Two Tracks, or Not Two Tracks: Louisville & Nashville through Birmingham
· Tweetsie Railroad · Kansas City-Florida Special |
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| 2016 | Winter
Presentation: Birmingham Terminal Station · Preserving the Texas · Stevenson Depot · Birmingham Belt, Part 1 · Virtual Model
Railroading, Part 2 |
Spring
Frank Ardrey in Color · Center for Railroad Photography and Art · Historic Decatur Depot · Birmingham Belt, Part 2 · 'Dixie' 4-8-4 Restoration |
Summer
Billy Thomason Signal Collection · David Lester on 1976 · Birmingham Belt, Part 3 · Report from Moscow, Idaho (R&LHS Convention) · In Memorium Mick Nussbaum |
Fall
Historic Birmingham Mineral Railroad Signs Project · Brown Ore for Birmingham · A Visit to Cass · Remembering Jim McClellan |
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| 2015 | Winter
Chapter projects · Lester on Amtrak · Red Gap
Branch (Irondale to Greensprings Highway) |
Spring
Ken Boyd, digital photography and locomotive "art" · Woodward Iron Company and Vance, Alabama · 611 excursion itinerary |
Summer
Woodward Iron Company presentation · R&LHS Altoona convention report · Dynamic braking · Thoughts on the Pan American · L&N Depot Museum in Foley |
Fall
Presentation: Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History and Birmingham Rail &
Locomotive, Inc. · Great Temple of Travel (Marvin Clemons) set for January Publication ·
Reminiscing about Frank E. Ardrey · Coal and the Railroads · Virtual Model
Railroading, Part 1 |
2014 | January-February
Jack Ferris and company · Atlanta Terminal Station · RR history
and model railroading (pt.4) · Lyle Key on riding Amtrak (pt.1) |
March-April
Tom Lawson book signing announced · Restoration projects · Birmingham
Mineral Railroad historic signs project · Birmingham RR grade separation project (pt.1) ·
Mid-South Chapter Web site · Lyle Key on riding Amtrak (pt.2) |
May-June
Alabama Railfan Conference announced · Atlanta Union Station ·
Birmingham RR grade separation project (pt.2) · Named passenger cars |
July-August
Birmingham Mineral Railroad · Birmingham RR grade separation project (pt.3)
· 21st Century heritage steam |
September-October
State of the RR hobby (pt.1) · Birmingham Mineral Railroad signs project report ·
Atlanta Railroad Prototype Modelers meeting · Warrior Mineral RR |
November-December
State of the RR hobby (pt.2) · Bessemer Pullman-Standard Plant ·
Warrior River/"Lost" Ensley Southern Bridge |
| 2013 | January
Birmingham streetcars · Year in review · Atlanta's
Peachtree Station |
March
Central of Georgia RHS to meet at Leeds · Railfanning in Japan · Winburn,
AL operations · Early Southern Railway steam excursions |
May
Central of Georgia RHS Leeds report · Southern Railway's Northern Alabama RR
(pt. 1) · Review of Steam Whistles in the Piney Woods |
July
611 returning to excursion service · RR history and model railroading (pt.1)
· Logging railroads in the US (pt.1) |
September
21st Century Steam in Birmingham · John Henry Celebration · Photo
calendar winners · RR history and model railroading (pt.2) · Logging railroads in the
US (pt.2) · Southern Railway's Northern Alabama RR (pt. 2) |
November
Eric McFerrin · Logging railroads in the US (pt.3)
· RR history and model railroading (pt.3) |
| 2012 | March
Shane Boatwright · Norfolk Southern announces "heritage" locomotives program
· Woodward Iron Company |
Summer
Dr. Carl Marbury · Shane Boatwright presentation ·
Birmingham convention report |
December
ATCS monitor installed in Depot agent's office · Kennesaw excursion
report |
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| 2011 | March
Birmingham convention announcement · Membership meeting report ·
A Telegrapher's story |
May
Birmingham Southern · Cane Creek Branch farewell (pt. 1) ·
A day at the Depot |
Summer
Birmingham convention plans · Mid-South Chapter news and views ·
Cane Creek Branch farewell (pt. 2) |
December
Registration opens for Birmingham convention · Sloss Furnace and the founding
of Birmingham · Frank Ardrey obituary · Leeds Depot artwork unveiled |
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| 2010 | January
Frisco no. 4018 relocation report · MSC Board report |
March
BNSF safety programs · Membership meeting report · David
Salter in memoriam |
May
Alabama Mineral · Birmingham Mineral's Red Mountain
Lines |
September
Veteran railroaders share memories · Norfolk Southern and
Tennessee Valley RR Museum announce steam excursions for 2011 |
December
Operator's desk for Leeds Depot · Oneonta's L&N depot site
receives marker · TA&G Railway program · Mid-South Chapter photo album |
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| 2009 | March
Red Mountain presentation · Depot workgroup · Birmingham
rail show |
May
Central of Georgia program · Depot office restoration · Local Internet
newsgroup |
September
Leeds Depot open house · New operator's desk · July
cookout photos |
November
Frisco no. 4018 relocation · Ron Mele profile · Open house
photos · Exhibit room proposal |
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© Copyright 2023 Mid-South Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc